Innocent Eyes
by The Clock Strikes Thirteen
Summary: Sarah slipped up. Sarah told. Now Sarah is in an asylum and the only one who can save her is herself, with a bit of help from a Goblin King who finds he doesn't know her as well as he thinks he does . The rules are simple; run the Labyrinth, win your freedom. Lose and stay. But does Sarah really want to leave? Still, rules are rules, and the clock is ticking. AU Sarah/Jareth.
1. Chapter 1: Never

**_Chapter One: Never_**

The rain drums on the window. _Pitter patter. Pitter patter. Pitter patter. _Just like that.

The light hums above my head like a bee, like a swarm of bees that never go away. Water drips from the sink endlessly. I wonder just how much water it's wasting to have that leak. Probably a lot. I've decided I don't care. Caring is bad, caring sent me here.

I take a look at my watch. It reads six o'clock. I pick up my Sharpie and make another line on the wall. It's the only thing to do around here; count the time I mean. They've decided I've had too much fun, that I've used it all up, that it made me crazy. They're wrong.

They made me crazy.

I sigh and stare out the window. Some things never change and the landscape outside is one of them. Always grey, always raining. It's like all the color's been drained out of the entire universe. I wonder if that's how grown ups see the world, and if I see it like that now because I am one.

Six o'clock in the morning, I'm officially eighteen.

It's great to be an adult, just fabulous. Then again, I wouldn't know, I've only been one for two seconds and already I hate it. I wonder if they'll let me out now that I'm an adult. I doubt it. I don't have a choice anymore. I'm mental, I'll never have a choice.

They think I made it all up. They think I talk to myself when I look in my mirror. Toby can't back me up; he was just a baby. Now he's going on three. I really never got to watch though. It's been two years in white-washed Hell and a lot of tallies.

I wonder if I'll ever get out of here, if they'll ever let me go. Never. That's what my file said, but in much fancier words. Never.

Never doesn't seem like such a long time when you say it out loud, but it is. It's a word with power. I smile. I know all about words with power. _He _taught me about words with power. But _he _is gone, h_e _will never come back, and there are some night when I wish _he _was here.

The Labyrinth changed me, and _he _changed me too. I'm not fifteen anymore, I'm all grown up. I know what I want now, and it's taken me three years to decide.

I stand up from the chair I'm sitting in, and I walk over to my bed. From beneath my pillow I pull out a book. The word _Labyrinth _is printed on the cover. The idiots don't even know I have it. Oh well. I flip to the second chapter and take a deep breath.

"I wish the Goblins would come and take me away..." I pause. There is no turning back. Not for me. "Right now." I smile as the lights flicker and then go out.


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome

**_Chapter Two: Welcome  
_**

I don't know where I am and everything hurts. Not really the first time that's happened in the last few years but I don't want to think about that.

The lights are out. Everything is too dark to see. I wonder if I'm there. I wonder why I hope so. I stand up. From the light of the blurred moon in the window, the room looks about the same. Same bed, same table, same me. Despite that, something is off. I hear a humming noise. It's faint, but I can just make it out. Maybe I really am crazy. Maybe I'm not.

The humming is louder now.

I see a light shining from underneath the door. Now I know something isn't right, it's purple. I look to the walls. My Sharpie lines are still there, but they're coated in glitter. I run my fingers over the wall, getting some on my fingertips.

The humming is getting closer and it's easier to hear. It sounds like hushed voices. I can barely hear what they're saying, but as they get closer, their words become clear.

"She's back!" I hear one say. It then cackles with glee. I grimace at the high noise.

"I can't believe it!" Shouts another. This one is obviously not attempting to be quiet and I smirk when it makes a noise of pain. One of its friends smacked it.

"I wonder where the chicken's have gone." I raise an eyebrow at the last voice and take a few steps closer to the door. Yep, I'm definitely back. Goblins are idiots, and while the doctors at the hospital are pretty similar, their voices don't sound human.

I wonder where Hoggle is and if I'll be allowed to see him. I wonder if him and Ludo and Sir Didymus will even remember me. I wonder if they'll let me apologize. I left without even saying goodbye. Our final talk was Irene's last strike. I was out on my ass in five seconds flat.

I step closer to the door. I wonder what will happen since I wished myself here. Running the Labyrinth wouldn't be a problem if I had to, I'd done it before.

Then again, this was my escape hatch. Did I want to go back to the hospital? I shake my head to jostle the thoughts out of it. I couldn't be caught thinking things like that and it made my brain hurt.

I grasp the handle of the door. There really is no turning back now. I sigh and turn the doorknob, pulling it towards me. I step out into the hallway and into the darkness. That was odd, I thought I heard voices.

"Is that her?" I jump a little bit when I hear a voice beside me in my ear. I turn to find nothing there.

"Why is she so ugly?" I furrow my brow and glare at where I heard the second voice come from.

My mouth drops open when I turn to see the door that I came through has disappeared. I am in serious trouble. Darkness wasn't good. Darkness was always bad. My mind flashed back to the Oubliette and I forced myself to shake it away. That was one place I never wanted to be again. My heart hammered as I felt movement down around my ankle area.

"Oh shut up you! The Master wouldn't want to hear you saying things like that!" I look down to see where the third and final voice came from and scream. Two beady red eyes glow up at me from the darkness and below them, a rack of sharp, pink teeth.

I look up when I see a light shining out of the darkness in the rectangular shape of a door. My stomach drops when the silhouette outlined in it speaks.

"What wouldn't you like me to hear?" It's _him._ God Almighty, I'll take the darkness.

"N-nothing Master. We was just observing the girl!" the one who called me ugly stammers. I smirk, if there's one thing _he _ is good at, it's making people uncomfortable.

"What girl?" He doesn't know I'm here yet! Hallelujah! He places his hands on his hips as he waits for their flustered response.

"T-the girl in the painting, Master. T-the one in your room." What was that thing talking about? I look to the man -provided he's human- in the doorway and I notice him stiffen. The light from the doorway extends out when he waves his hand, bringing it closer to me. I hear him suck in a sharp breath when the light illuminates my face.

"Sarah." He says. It isn't a question, there is a warning in his voice. "Do as I say and look down, very slowly." I nod, and let my eyes travel towards the ground. I let out a very embarrassing squeak when my line of sight reaches my ankles.

"W-what?" I ask. Down around my ankles in clusters are the mot horrific things I've ever seen. Their fanged mouths drip with foam and saliva, their red eyes are soulless. They stand no taller than six inches and their gray skin is cracked and peeling. Some are missing limbs, and all of them are looking very, very angry.

"Don't scream, Sarah. Remain still." Surprisingly, I listen to him as he waves his hand again, widening the long rectangle of light. I hear a sizzling noise and I gasp when I look down to see the monstrous little creatures scurry away to the darkness.

My heart doesn't slow down and my breathing comes in short, fast bursts. A part of my mind is scolding me for being stupid enough to come here, another part just wants to fall asleep and wake up back at home.

I listen to the later, letting my eyes close as my vision goes blurry. The last thing I remember is falling and hitting the ground.


	3. Chapter 3: Alone

**_Chapter Three: Alone_**

For the second time being here, my head hurts. I don't know why I had the sudden urge to sleep when I did, but now I wish I hadn't.

Everything is dark, I can't see a damn thing. This makes my anxiety grow, especially when I dare to think that _he_ had left me in the same room with those little monsters. I knew he didn't. I can't hear their horrible voices anymore.I am alone. I groan and sit up, realizing I am lying down on a stone floor. My head throbs and I fight back tears.

I should never have come here.

I should have listened to the doctors who told me it was all a dream. I should have put this behind me and attempted to get 'better'. Then again, I was never very good at letting things go. The doctor's diagnosis were all the same; the Labyrinth was my way of facing my fears and growing up. It was Jareth that wasn't healthy apparently.

Forget about talking to my mirror; when I told Toby about the amazingly handsome Goblin King, Irene would always be on edge. I groan again.

I was an idiot for thinking I had grown up. I may be an adult now but I was still just a stupid teenage girl with a crush. Jareth was a fascinating enigma and I often wondered what would have happened if I'd stayed with him.

I push such thoughts to the dark little corner of brain where they can peacefully exist without any trouble. Even though I always knew that this place was real, calling the Goblin King a metaphor for becoming a woman was tempting. Blaming his attractiveness and how I felt about him on a girlish need for a strong man in her life was simple.

I _really_ liked simple back then. I still do.

I decide it's time for a bit more exploring. I stand up, scraping my hands on the ground. I smirk and lift an eyebrow as I survey my palms. Just as I suspected, they are covered in glitter. _He _was here recently. I feel my way around the room, which is much smaller than I would have thought.

I stop dead when I reach the far wall. Along the length, the wall is uneven, like parts of it have been cut out, and in between these parts is just empty space. The realization is shocking. Jareth has locked me up. _He _has locked me up!

The sections of the wall are metal and I slam my hands against them. I am satisfied with the echoing clang that bounces off of the walls.

He can't do this to me, I know the rules, I have to run. Jareth never really was one for rules though. Still, he has to be fair, right? Wrong. I'm smart enough to know that Jareth will never be okay with fair; not if it puts his chances of winning in jeopardy.

I slam my hands against the bars again. I hiss in pain, that's starting to hurt. I'm lucky enough that I don't have to do it anymore as a few seconds later, a light appears. It's just a crack, like the kind when a door is opening, but it grows and soon I see a short figure loitering around in the entrance. It makes little squeaky noise when it sees me standing up.

"Oh! She's up!" It cackles. It's much bigger than those horrid little monsters from before, and it's eyes are a dull brown. I thought I knew a Goblin when I saw one, but it seems as though I just met my first. It scurries off to tell someone that I'm conscious again, and before I can wonder who, the person whom I've been thinking about is standing in the doorway.

Could he really have changed that much? There are wrinkles around his mismatched eyes from frowning. His skin is pallid and in his wild mess of blonde hair are several gray streaks. He was the picture of youth the last time I was here which was not so long ago, what has happened to him?

"Hello, Sarah." He even sounds older, although the way he says my name has not changed. He always said it carefully, as if testing it like it was the first time. There was always a possessive undertone and I often wonder if there will always be.

"Do you treat all your guests this way," I pause, "or am I just special." My comment is meant to be biting, but he catches me by surprise -as always- when he laughs.

"You have always been _special._" I suppress a shudder. The Goblin King hasn't really changed at all. Ever still the enigma.

"What do you mean by that?" This causes him to laugh again. I frown and roll my eyes when I realize that it's at my expense. So, the mighty King thinks I'm stupid, does he? I'll show him stupid.

"My dear, dear Sarah," He says, moving closer to my prison. "I have lived for thirteen hundred years and seen a great deal of impossible things. But never once did I imagine I would see someone -a child, no less- solve my Labyrinth. An event like that would have _too_ impossible, and yet here you are. _Again_." He sounds almost disappointed. I'm used to it.

"Sometimes, I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast." I reply coolly. The King gives me a blank stare. Thank you Lewis Carroll.

"That is an excellent practice." _Fuck. _How in the name of all that is sane did The Goblin King have access to _Through the Looking Glass_? I shook my head, refusing to be made a fool of.

"I suppose it's your own fault, _Jareth_." He cringes when I say his name like that. When I spit it out like it's a disgusting word. I don't think he likes it. Good. "Maybe if you built your little Hell trap better, I wouldn't have found my way through so easily." Jareth, who'd been avoiding my gaze since I said his name out loud, whipped around to glare at me. I gasped in shock as he reached out a gloved hand that ghosted easily through the metal bars to grab my wrist as though they weren't even there. I yelped softly when his grip tightened.

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. All grown up and you _still_ can't seem to hold your tongue." He let go of my wrist roughly and took a few steps back. "You haven't changed. Still spoiled, still a child." How _dare_ he! He had no idea what I had seen because of him! I don't know why, but I saw red. I saw red and I backed up enough to get a good run in before I felt myself slam into the iron bars.

For the first time, the King of the Goblins looked as though he didn't know what to do. Now _that _ was impossible. Jareth was _always _working one angle or another, ready to pull out a trick from up his heavily brocaded sleeve. But no, it could not be mistaken. A small flash of uncertainty, of _fear_ crept into his gaze. It made me feel so good. So I did it again, and again, and then again. I wanted him to feel how I felt after years of kind words and empty eyes. I made impact again and it wasn't to long until he gave up.

He never said a single word to console me as I threw myself against my restraints time after time. He doesn't say a single world as he turns and leaves, exiting the same way he entered. I'm in the dark again, but I don't care, I don't stop. Again and again I crash into the metal bars at top speed until I can't feel the pain in my ribs anymore. I don't stop.

I can't stop.


	4. Chapter 4: Die

**_Chapter Four: Die  
_**

I've counted the dots on the ceiling three times. Each time it's different. _999_. _789_. _1027._ Clearly I'm bored. My throat hurts now. Maybe it was because of all the screaming I did.

_No shit._ I think to myself. It took about five minutes for the pain to really set in after I stopped running at the bars. They must be magical or something because they wouldn't budge an inch no matter how hard I tried. Granted, I do believe that I am strong enough to take down a set of ancient jail bars. At least I think I am. Anyway, I was a bit happy knowing that I had found one of Jareth's weaknesses, but mostly I was in a lot of pain. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and scream out all my agony. I screamed _a lot_. Even after the physical pain ended, I still screamed.

Not a soul came to see why.

It was then that I got it. The almighty, all powerful Goblin King was _scared_. He didn't know what to do and that made him afraid. I'd seen that once before, right before I won. He was so desperate, so afraid. I love knowing I can do that to him. Maybe I'm power hungry. Again, I don't really care if I am. Power is amazing, believe me, I know. Jeez, maybe I really have gone mad. Oh well, at least someone will listen to me. Wait a second...

It's been a good amount of time since I stopped making a scene. I wonder where everybody is. I look down at the ground around me, trying to spot something that can be used to entertain myself. I brush away some of the straw that covers the entire floor. It's disgusting and I can't help but wonder who was in here before me. I shake my head, I don't want to think about it. I push away some more of the straw, squinting and trying to see. Seeing in the dark was never a very good skill of mine.

I let out a tiny little shriek when I accidentally stab my palm onto something. I draw back, holding my injured hand. I roll my eyes as I inspect the cut, it's just a little scrape. Stupid cuts are such drama queens, they bleed like crazy and end up only being the tiniest nicks. I put my hands back on the ground, digging through the straw to see what injured me. My eyes widen as I finally uncover a long, sharp blade with a hook at the end. I wonder just who the Hell was the idiot that put that there.

I lift the weapon up closer to my eyes, trying to get a better look. It really is a wonderful knife. The blade is made of a thin, strange metal. It's sharpened to perfection to, hence the cut on my hand after barely making impact. The hilt is beautiful too, carved out of black stone with a dull silver finishing. It looks very expensive, but when I bring the blade closer to my eyes, I catch sight of something engraved there.

_Ille qui pecuniam suam non..._ It reads. Wonderful, Latin, because I would totally have a clue as to what it meant. I wonder why it's here, what use could a prisoner have with a knife.

"Still can't figure it out?" I jump a little bit and turn towards where the voice came from. Out of the darkness, the burning light of a flame ignites out of thin air and standing before me is yet another goblin. I instinctively move away but do not let go of my new found weapon.

"Figure what out?" I ask, taking in it's ugly brown skin, tufts of white hair and beady black eyes. I makes a sound like a cross between a laugh and a groan of frustration. It really is as awful as you'd imagine that to sound like.

"The point of the knife." It replies and I become aware of the thick, cockney accent the little creature uses. I look down at the weapon and then back at the goblin, who sighs. "You really are thick. Makes me wonder why the Master likes you." I roll my eyes. Jareth hates me. I made him lose, he wants me dead, right? What he said to me before I left wasn't true, that was just to throw me off.

"He doesn't like me." I reply and the disgusting vermin has the guts to snigger. I want to punch it, but I also want answers. The punching can wait. "So what's the point of it?" I ask. The little goblin looks to me in confusion.

"The point of what, dearie?" He asks. I growl and grip the bars of my cage.

"The point of the knife!" I exclaim, my voice echoing off of the walls.

"Oh, right. The knife is there in case you feel like killin' yourself." The goblin says casually. I sit back on my heels.

"So Ja- The Goblin King, puts these in here in case you want to commit suicide?" I clarify. My brow furrows and I clench my teeth when the goblin just slowly claps instead of answering me.

"So she does have a brain." I'm starting to get very annoyed. I don't know how Jareth can stand being around these things! "And yeah, it's there in case you want to die. The Master likes to give people the choice." I nod, looking down at the pretty knife. I turn it over in my hands, looking at the writing.

"Do you know what this means?" I ask, holding up the blade. "_Ille qui pecuniam suam non..._ I think it says?" The goblin shuffles a little bit closer but still keeps its distance. Smart goblin.

"Yeah, the Master had that carved in. It says 'He who takes his life pays a price...'" I cock my head to the side.

"What's the price?" I ask. I am rewarded for my inquiry with another snigger from the short little pest.

"Well, if we knew, it would take all the fun out of it, wouldn't it?" It asks. I throw the knife down on the ground.

"Suicide is _not_ funny!" I protest and the little goblin sobers up. It goes deadly quiet for a few minutes and then decides to speak again.

"I know, Miss." It says in a quiet voice. "But you might as well have a laugh if you want to die." I don't get a chance to reply, the goblin turns on its heel, snuffing out the airborne flame and scurrying out the door. It's just me and my new knife again.

I pick it up, testing its weight and then point it towards my chest. Slowly, I bring the hooked tip closer to my hear until its pressing into my skin. I can almost feel how good it will be to just finish it. I stop, setting the knife back down on the ground. I don't want to die.

That would be too easy.


	5. Chapter 5: Safe

**A/N: This is mostly a filler chapter as I really want to take things slowly with this story. I'm nervous as it's my first (pretty much) canon pairing and I want to do it justice. Anyway, I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope that this makes you happy for a little while!  
**

**Please review if you have the time, they mean a lot to me.**

* * *

_**Chapter Five: Safe  
**_

"So what do they call you?" I ask. I'm still in my cage, my back against the dirt wall. I know I'm going to be in a world of pain later from this rock that's sticking into my spine, but I don't really feel like moving. Just outside the bars is the little Goblin from before. My eyes have since gotten used to the dark and I've found that 'it' is actually more of a 'she'. That or he likes to wear pink.

"Me name's Gaea, miss." She replies. I tilt my head to the side, that name sounds familiar.

"Like the Greek Goddess of the earth?" I ask and the little creature nods, a big smile on her face.

"Yes. I was wondering when someone would get that! Nobody around here reads! None but me, that is." She adds on to the end, sounding very annoyed with her fellow Goblins.

"I didn't know Goblins could read." I reply honestly and she rolls her muddy brown eyes.

"Well, we _can_ read, but not many _choose_ to." She tells me and I lift an eyebrow. I love to read, how could someone not?

"Who doesn't love to read?" I ask and she shrugs. I don't really know why she's down here, but I am grateful for the company, I've found recently that I dislike silence.

"Well, reading is what brought us here." She replies and I shake my head. That's nonsense.

"No it didn't." I reply passively and the little Goblin is quick to disagree.

"Yeah it did. My brother used to read a book to me every night. Then, he got mad and said some words. Next thing I know someone comes through the window and I never see my brother again." My eyes drop to my lap. I find that I can't look at the poor little creature.

"He didn't try?" I ask, trying to sound bland and uninterested. Recently I'd found that the feeling of my heart breaking didn't hurt as much as _realizing_ that it was cracking away; piece by piece.

"No." She replied flatly. I move a little bit so that I am closer to the bars.

"Do many siblings try?" I feel my heart stop when she shakes her head.

"Nah. They can't be bothered. Some don't have the time, others don't rightly care." I try to keep my mouth from falling open in shock. "If it's the little ones who wish their siblings away, they don't stop to think about what their life would be like without them." I grip the metal bars and squeeze them until my hands hurt.

"Do you miss your brother?" I asked and she shakes her head again.

"I don't miss him 'cause I can't remember him much." She replies honestly. "But there are some who can't remember nothin'." She says. She sounds so distant, like she's in another world. Maybe she is.

"Why can you remember?" I ask her and she gives me a pointed look.

"Because I asked him." Her voice is so small. "Some don't want to remember what they escaped from, I was lucky, I didn't wish myself away. 'Bout half of the others did." I cock my head to the side.

"He takes away their memories?" I ask in a curious voice. The little Goblin nods.

"Yeah, some of us were not really well off. Upstairs, there's a little boy names Perseus who's mum never gave a damn about him. The Master tried to ask her about trying to rescue her son when he wished himself away and she just looked right through him." I stifle a gasp. I told myself countless times that night that I hated Toby, but still, I ran for him, and we were only half related.

"I can't believe that." I tell her, sitting back a bit and she nods in response.

"Neither did I." She pauses for a moment. "Don't hate the Master too much. He gives us a good home and makes people better." A harsh, hysterical laugh rings through the cavernous dungeon.

"That's a lie." I say in a voice that's almost too harsh. The little Goblin winces, but shakes her head like she pities me.

"He saved you, Sarah Williams. That's what the Master does. He don't have a say in the matter and sometimes, I swear he hates me, but he still keeps me safe." She turns to go, and I find myself with a final question.

"Safe from what?" I ask and a throaty, odd noise echoes off the wet walls. It takes me a minute to realize that she's laughing.

"Safe from a brother who didn't care." With that, she leaves me alone again to stare at the door and think until I don't want to anymore.


End file.
